restructure

American  

[ree-struhk-cher] / riˈstrʌk tʃər /

verb (used with object)

restructures, present (3rd person singular) restructured, past participle, past restructuring present participle

1. to change, alter, or restore the structure of.

   to restructure a broken nose.

2. to effect a fundamental change in (as an organization or system).

3. to recombine (bits of inexpensive meats), especially by mechanical means, into simulated steaks, fillets, etc.

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verb (used without object)

restructures, present (3rd person singular) restructured, past participle, past restructuring present participle

1. to restructure something.

noun

1. the act or an instance of restructuring.

restructure British  

/ riːˈstrʌktʃə /

verb

1. (tr) to organize (a system, business, society, etc) in a different way

   radical attempts to restructure the economy

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• restructurer
  noun
• restructuring
  noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

• restructuring
  present
• restructured
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• restructure
  simple
• restructures
  simple
• have restructured
  perfect
• has restructured
  perfect
• am restructuring
  progressive
• are restructuring
  progressive
• is restructuring
  progressive
• have been restructuring
  perfect progressive
• has been restructuring
  perfect progressive

Past

• restructured
  simple
• had restructured
  perfect
• was restructuring
  progressive
• were restructuring
  progressive
• had been restructuring
  perfect progressive

Future

• will restructure
  simple
• will have restructured
  perfect
• will be restructuring
  progressive
• will have been restructuring
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of restructure

First recorded in 1940–45; re- + structure

Explanation

When you restructure something, you organize it in a different way so it’ll work better, like a practice schedule a coach restructures to get in more morning sessions before a big game. The verb restructure often refers to a company that is changing the way it operates in order to be more efficient. In many cases, this means laying off employees, closing locations, or working with creditors to change the speed at which debt is repaid. The goal of this kind of restructuring is for the company to stay in business through a rough time in its history.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

restructure restructures restructured restructuring

German carmakers have long complained of high costs and onerous red tape while critics contend the companies themselves need to restructure and improve how they are run.

From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026

In Week 18 of a season, they restructure the contracts of players they already plan to cut.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026

Asha Sharma, who recently took over as Xbox's chief executive, said in a note to staff it was "beginning the most significant restructure in Xbox history".

From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026

In an internal memo, the media giant said it would restructure its radio programming to better “leverage” the company’s technology.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026

Hoover wanted the new investigation to be a showcase for his bureau, which he had continued to restructure.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

BP named Gordon Birrell head of upstream and Richard Harding interim head of downstream as it restructures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

“If overspending or unstable income is the root issue, the loan just restructures the pain.”

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 26, 2026

Professor Lockerby's work restructures Cunningham's original idea into a broader and more flexible form.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 8, 2026

Denmark's Novo Nordisk said Tuesday it would replace more than half of its board, including the chair, as the Ozempic and Wegovy maker restructures in the face of rising competition for its anti-obesity treatments.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025

Business in its stores and online will continue as usual while it restructures, the Texas-based home goods, storage and custom closets chain said late Sunday.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2024

It funded an overhaul of elite academies and restructured the system.

From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026

Rendon’s attitude and performance became so disappointing that the Angels effectively told him to stay away in 2026 and restructured the final year of his contract.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026

Afiniti, Hileman learned, had filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection that November and restructured its debt without the firm marking down the loan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026

Western Digital restructured approximately $858.4 million of its convertible senior notes due 2028.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Griffith’s identification of a chemical capable of carrying hereditary instructions between organisms—the “gene molecule”—would have sparked a thousand speculations and restructured the chemical theory of life.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

United Parcel Service UPS -1.60%decrease; down pointing triangle raised its full-year outlook after revenue climbed in the second quarter, as the company said its years-long restructuring efforts are bearing fruit.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Through the restructuring, BuzzFeed’s leaders said, the company will aim to grow its audience and bolster its positon in free streaming content.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026

If the restructuring went ahead, it would be the largest in the history of the automotive industry, eclipsing the 50,000 job cuts General Motors made after it declared bankruptcy in 2009.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

The programs are a further step in simplifying the operating model and reallocating resources and are expected to lead to restructuring charges of 200 million euros this year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

"Claudine, you know my mother has outlawed deep body restructuring," Sophia says.

From "The Belles" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• reconstruct
• reshuffle
• revamp